Caerphilly

Caerphilly's population grew between the last two censuses. Data from the census also show there were changes in religion, housing tenure and health.

The population reached nearly 180,000

In the 10 years leading up to 2011, the population of Caerphilly increased by 5.5%, from just under 170,000 to 179,000.

The addition of almost 9,300 people means this area's population increased at a similar rate to the overall population of Wales (also up 5.5% since the 2001 census).

In 2011, Caerphilly was home to, on average, 4.6 people per football pitch-sized piece of land.

Population density was higher than the average across Wales

Population density (usual residents per football pitch-sized piece of land) across Wales, March 2011 (larger dots represent greater increase since 2001)

An older Caerphilly

Census 2011 data also show a change in the local population's average age.

Between the last two censuses, the median age of Caerphilly increased by three years, from 37 to 40 years.

This industrial area had a slightly lower average age than Torfaen (one of the most statistically similar areas to Caerphilly based on ONS area classifications) (41 years of age) and remained slightly younger than the average local authority area across Wales (41 years of age).

The fall in age was because of an increase of almost 4,900 people between the ages of 60 and 69 years, while the population between 30 and 39 years decreased by just under 3,000.

About 12% of people in Caerphilly are aged between 60 and 69 years

Percentage of usual residents in Wales, Blaenau Gwent and Caerphilly by 10 year age band, March 2001 and March 2011

Welsh language in Caerphilly

The proportion of Welsh speakers in Caerphilly remained close to 11% in the 10 years leading up to Census 2011.

Of the few areas where knowledge of the Welsh language increased, Monmouthshire saw the largest change (from 9.0% to 9.9%).

There are 1,426 more people living in Caerphilly who spoke Welsh compared with 2001, while the number of people who did not spoke Welsh increased by 7,249.

In Blaenau Gwent (the local authority area that shares the largest boundary with Caerphilly), 7.9% of people over the age of three could speak some Welsh, down from 9.1% at the 2001 census. Across Wales, the proportion fell from 21% to 19%.

The proportion of people who could speak Welsh was lower than across Wales

Percentage of people aged three and over that said they could speak Welsh across local authority areas in Wales and the average across Wales, March 2011

Religion in Caerphilly

The number of people in Caerphilly that described themselves as having no religion increased from about 41,000 in 2001 to about 73,000 in 2011. This represents a change from 24% to 41% of the local population.

The percentage increased by more than the average across Wales (from 19% to 32%).

The number of people in Caerphilly that described themselves as Christian decreased from about 110,000 in 2001 to just under 91,000 in 2011 (from 66% to 51%). The number of people who did not disclose their religious affiliation decreased from just under 16,000 to just over 13,000 (from 9.4% to 7.5%).

Just under 670 people (0.2%) said they identified with a religion other than Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism or Sikhism, up from about 340 in 2001 (0.4%).

There are many factors that can cause changes to the religious profile of an area, such as migration and varying fertility rates between religious groups. Changes may also be caused by differences in the way individuals choose to self-identify between censuses.

The population without a religion in Caerphilly increased by 17 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in Wales, Blaenau Gwent and Caerphilly by religion, March 2001 and March 2011

Fewer people worked long hours

Long hour working fell in Caerphilly, but at a slower rate than all other local authority areas in Wales, except Denbighshire.

During this period, Caerphilly fell below Swansea and Neath Port Talbot to become the Wales local authority area with the seventh-lowest percentage of long hours workers.

In 2011, just over 1 in 13 (7.8%) people aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) in Caerphilly said they had worked over 49 hours the week before completing the census, compared with 9.9% in 2001. The percentage that worked less than 16 hours in a week increased from 1.2% to 2.3%.

Wales' largest increase in the proportion of people working long hours occurred in Blaenau Gwent (from 8.0% to 7.2%).

Long hour working in Caerphilly decreased by 2.1 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) in Caerphilly, Blaenau Gwent and Wales that said they had worked over 49 hours the week before completing the census, March 2001 and March 2011

Rise in rate of unemployment

Caerphilly saw Wales' third-largest rise in the proportion of unemployed people.

During this period, Caerphilly overtook six local authority areas, including Isle of Anglesey and Swansea, to become the Wales local authority area with the fourth-highest percentage of unemployed people.

In 2011, just over 1 in 20 (5.1%) people aged 16 to 74 in Caerphilly said they were unemployed, compared with 3.6% in 2001. The percentage that were employed increased from 49% to 52%.

Wales' largest increase in the proportion of unemployed people occurred in Blaenau Gwent (from 4.7% to 6.9%) followed by Merthyr Tydfil (from 4.0% to 5.7%).

The rate of unemployment in Caerphilly increased by 1.6 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 to 74 in Caerphilly, Blaenau Gwent and Wales that said they were unemployed, March 2001 and March 2011

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